Harry POV
I needed to talk to someone. This felt wrong, so wrong. It was very possible that I was falling in love with Arlene Sommers, while my heart would, and would always belong to Ginny. But I couldn't talk to Hermione about this, nor Ron. And I certainly wasn't going to see a therapist. I'd be all over the Prophet before the afternoon was out. So after a long internal debate, I went to see Mrs. Weasley at the Burrow. When she answered the door, she looked the same as always, minus the grey streaks in her hair and a few more wrinkles. "Harry, dear, what brings you here today?" She asked warmly, ushering me inside.
"I, uh, I-we need to talk," I spluttered, unsure how to voice what I wanted. She studied me a moment, then led me to their little parlor. Not much had changed-the grandfather clock with the family members was still ticking away, and in various places around the room crocheting was crocheting itself. The house was oddly silent without a large number of kids running around.
"Now, what is it you want to talk about?" She asked patiently, and it nearly made tears well up in my eyes. To think-she was being so caring (as usual) to me, when I had come here to confess how I was starting to betray her daughter. It made me feel sick.
"I think I'm falling in love," I blurted out, and then I was rambling, the whole story spilling from my mouth. "There is this woman, she coaches James at the Quidditch place, and she reminds me so much of Ginny it hurts. She saved James' life a few days ago, and I saw her at St. Mungo's. I held her hands through her pain, just like I did with Ginny, and I started to compare the two, and then-" Mrs. Weasley raised a hand, and I instantly quieted, panting slightly. Oh, Merlin, here it comes, I thought. Surely she would kick me out now, crying about how I was forgetting Ginny, her beautiful and only daughter.
"Harry, Harry, Harry," She sighed fondly, Summoning a teapot and cups. She poured me one, and I accepted it with trembling hands. "For such a brave man, you can be incredibly foolish. It's normal that you are falling in love again. I can tell by how distressed you are that deep inside, you will always love Ginny. I'm not surprised that you would find someone that reminded you of Her. Now, start over, from the beginning, and talk slowly. I'm not going to Banish you from my house," She said with a chortle. Relieved, I started over, explaining everything. She nodded throughout the whole thing, and chuckled often. "Describe Arlene," was all she said when I finished the story. I hesitated, wanting to capture Arlene the way I saw her, and make Mrs. Weasley understand at the same time.
"She's beautiful," was the first thing that popped out of my mouth, but I continued, my voice getting surer. "She's…average height, and has an athletic frame. She's thin, but not super skinny. Her hair is brown, but it has the most amazing red tint to it, especially in the sun. Her eyes-they are just so…they are grey, but blue at the same time. She's funny, smart, and not fazed by celebrities. She's a Chaser, and, Merlin, she is so like Ginny. Her facial expressions, her sayings…just the way…just-it's the way she is," I ended lamely, but to my surprise, Mrs. Weasley started full out laughing.
"You, Harry," she said kindly, "are head over heels in love. And Arlene sounds wonderful. So what's the problem?" She asked, and it was like a lightbulb going off in my brain. What was the problem?
"I don't know," I said, sounding dazed. She laughed again, patting my knee gently.
"Harry…you need to go after this girl. And whenever you think of Ginny, send her love, light and happiness…and then let her go. You can miss her, but you can't miss the rest of your life." She said wisely, and then got up and stretched. I stared at her blankly, and then, for the first time in a long time, a huge grin went over my face, and I could feel the happiness all the way down in my toes.
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley. Thank you so much." I said gratefully as she sat back down, cracking her knuckles.
"That's what I'm here for, Harry, dear. Now, if you don't mind me asking, what specifically has Arlene done that reminds you of Ginny?"
"Well…when I lost my cool during the Quidditch game, and she was calmly telling me what to do…she raised her one eyebrow half way up in that cocky way that Ginny used to do when she knew she was going to win an argument," I started, and Mrs. Weasley nodded after a moment, smiling softly.
"And when she was talking to James in the hospital…she treated him with respect, like her own son. The way she said things…it was just boggling to me how much it reminds me of Her. Everyday, I'm seeing it now, the resemblance, I mean," I said with a sigh, but it was a happy sigh. It was like the beautiful person I knew Ginny to be wasn't really gone. And that was the best feeling in the whole world.
"Do you remember the first time you were at the Burrow and Ginny saw you? You were twelve, and that foolish girl, she acted as if she had seen a night troll when she saw you," Mrs. Weasley said with a chuckle. I smiled faintly, recalling that day. I had been so happy, free from the Dursley's, and then Ginny had acted like that. That was the first time I had wondered about her for more than thirty seconds.
"I remember." I supplied, far away in the memory. Fred was still there, and George still had his other ear. Times had been good. "You weren't there, but when I was trying to get out of the school to rescue Sirius," I paused when I said his name, feeling a huge pang of sadness, "she gave a kid the worst Bat Bogey Hex you would have ever seen." Mrs. Weasley laughed out loud, and I found myself joining in, despite still missing Sirius. I still blamed myself for his death, and I probably always would.
"I can imagine," Mrs. Weasley said, smiling at the grandfather clock. Ginny's hand was still there, but it had shrunk, along with Fred's to point to nothing, only resting in the center of the clock. "She always had a bit of a temper. I daresay that she gets it from me."
"No offense, this is a good thing, but I can totally agree with that, Mrs. Weasley." I said honestly, and she smiled wider as I stood up. "Thank you so much, again, for your help." I said earnestly, and she only smiled and saw me to the door, waving me on, but not after offering me food and a crocheted sweater. I politely denied both and Apparated back home. The kids were exactly as I had left them, James had his nose stuck in a Quidditch book, Albus was slightly watching the telly, and slightly watching Lily, who was painting with the same enthusiasm as Rose.
"Hey, Dad," Albus greeted me, and his voice was so slow that I realized he was also half-asleep. "How was Mrs. Weasley?"
"Great, as always. Thank you for watching your sister," I said, and he smiled sleepily.
"Yah," he said, before his eyelids drooped. I shut off the telly and got him upstairs into his own bed. Then I helped Lily clean up, and hung her newest masterpiece in her room. She promptly fell asleep after that. When I went to check on James, he was also asleep, his book over his face- the light still on. I shut off his light, setting the book on his nightstand. Then I went to bed, smiling and thinking of Arlene.
Mrs. Weasley had told me just what I needed to hear, and it was something I never would have been able to realize on my own. I knew now that I could love again, and that Ginny would never be forgotten.
But now I had a new problem. How was I going to approach Arlene, and would she love me too?